Commentary on Galatians (43)

We return to Romans 4 for additional explanation. Again, 4:3 appeals to Genesis 15:6, showing that Abraham was justified by faith, and that this happened before he was circumcised. Paul applies this principle of justification by faith to the Gentiles: "The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead" (4:23-24).

Because Abraham was justified by faith before circumcision, "he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them" (Romans 4:11b). For the benefit of the circumcised Jews, he adds, "And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised" (v. 12).

He is the father of the circumcised, but not if they are only circumcised, and not because they are circumcised. He is their father only if they "also walk in the footsteps of faith" of he who was justified before he was circumcised, and thus apart from circumcision. In other words, Abraham is the father of both the circumcised and the uncircumcised, that is, all those who follow his trust in God are justified apart from circumcision. Even those who are not his natural descendants are considered his children "in the sight of God" (Romans 4:17), and those who disbelieve are disowned and cast out. Natural descent is completely useless and irrelevant when it comes to possessing a right standing before God (Matthew 3:9).

The biblical record concerning Abraham shows that justification by faith is not a New Testament invention, but that in fact, faith has always been the only way to receive righteousness from God. Here Paul writes that the Scripture preached the gospel to Abraham, saying, "All nations will be blessed through you" (v. 8). This appears to be a conflation of Genesis 12:3, 18:18, and 22:18. In this context, the blessing relates to how God justified Abraham through faith, and that since the principle is extended through Abraham to all nations, that "God would justify the Gentiles by faith" as well. "So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith" (v. 9).

Therefore, God has always intended to save the Gentiles since the beginning, and faith has always been the only way. Paul even calls God's promise to Abraham "the gospel" in verse 8. Elsewhere I have shown that the Old Testament believers possessed substantial information regarding the person and work of Christ. For example, 1 Peter 1:10-12 tells us that the Spirit had predicted "the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow." This would, of course, include the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and exaltation of Christ, as well as the effects of such for the salvation of the chosen ones. As the prophets inquired about "the time and circumstances" of these events, the Spirit revealed to them that their prophecies refer to Peter's own generation. Again, this is a substantial amount of information regarding the person and work of Christ (also see Luke 24:27, 44).

Abraham was justified by faith. But this faith was not a general trust in God, or in particular promises that are unrelated to the object of our own faith. No, Abraham was justified by faith in the gospel, even in Christ. Many Christian writers not only fail to emphasize this crucial point, but sometimes even contradict it. Abraham was saved by the gospel, and the same gospel that we believe, with two differences – he had less information than we do, and he believed before the coming of Christ, while we believe after his coming.

As Ryken writes, "What God said to Abraham was nothing less than a proclamation of the gospel….Indeed, it goes all the way back to Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:15), who were the first to hear it." In order to preserve the biblical idea that there has always been only one way of salvation through one gospel, it is necessary to insist on this – that God himself preached Christ to Adam and Eve, not by name, but it was the same message. They were to trust God's promise and place their hope on this Savior who was to come.

One commentator wrote that Abraham was the "first" who was justified by faith, and thus opened the way for the application of this principle for the rest of humanity. This is blatantly false, unless it is suggested by this that no human individual received salvation before Abraham – since there has only been one way and one gospel all along. But we know that people were saved before Abraham, also by faith (Hebrews 11:4-7), and that the gospel was proclaimed as soon as sin entered the world (Genesis 3:15), in fact, even before God declared his curse on Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:16-19).

As for Abraham, Ryken continues, "The gospel is the good news about God forgiving sins and granting eternal life. These are the very things Abraham believed. He did not know Jesus Christ by name, but he trusted him nonetheless." This last sentence is exactly right, and a pleasant exception to the ambiguous or erroneous views espoused by some commentators and theologians on this matter. And finally, considering Abraham's behavior on Mount Moriah, where God commanded him to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22; Hebrews 11:17-19), Ryken adds, "He had faith, in other words, in both the atonement and the resurrection."

The Scripture is personified in verse 8 and is interchangeable with God himself (also Romans 9:17): "The Scripture foresaw…and announced the gospel." This carries great significance for both the doctrine of biblical inspiration and inerrancy, and the doctrine of justification by faith. Of course, the Scripture, as in the Bible or the book, is not identified with God in the ontological sense. But when the intellectual contents of the Scripture is considered, then there is no difference between what it says and what God says, since the Scripture is what God says (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).

From this perspective, not only could the Scripture be personified as if it is interchangeable with God, but it should be thus personified. Unless ontology is in view, in which case a distinction must be made, we are to freely and habitually refer to Scripture as if we are referring to God, and to speak of the two as if they are interchangeable. Any dread or hesitation in doing this betrays an insincere or incomplete commitment to the divine inspiration of Scripture, and dishonors the God who speaks powerfully through it without error or contamination.

The implication for the doctrine of justification by faith is straightforward. Because this doctrine is what the Scripture teaches, and because what Scripture says is what God says, it follows that God is the one who insists on the doctrine of justification by faith. It is taught and supported by God's own authority and wisdom, and cannot be faulted. Anyone who affirms or teaches something different becomes an enemy, not only of Paul, but of God. Naturally, such a person would be eternally condemned (Galatians 1:6-9). The same verdict is pronounced against anyone who opposes the doctrine today.